Djokovic Returns to Cincinnati Targeting 25th Grand Slam; Shapovalov Reaches Los Cabos Semifinal

Djokovic's Cincinnati return

Novak Djokovic, 39, confirmed on Thursday, July 30, that he will compete at the Cincinnati Open, his first appearance at the tournament since winning the 2023 title in a three-hour, 49-minute final over Carlos Alcaraz. Djokovic announced his return in a social media post, saying he was "happy to announce" his entry and expressing excitement to see fans. He had skipped the event since that triumph, instead rationing his schedule around Grand Slams and arriving at both the Australian Open and Wimbledon this year without a warm-up event.

The new men's tennis order

Since capturing the U.S. Open trophy in 2023, Djokovic has watched Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner seize control of men's tennis, with the young duo sharing 10 of the last 11 Grand Slam titles. Djokovic reached the final at the 2026 Australian Open and the semi-final at Wimbledon but was unable to halt either rising star in a major final. After his Wimbledon defeat to Sinner, Djokovic described his results as "good but not good enough" given his standards, adding that he still enjoyed the thrill of competition even as he acknowledged the physical toll of hard-court stretches.

Calendar and the record chase

The Cincinnati Open runs from August 13 to 23, offering Djokovic a final gauge of form before the year's last Grand Slam. The U.S. Open begins August 30. Djokovic is tied with Margaret Court on 24 major titles in the all-time list; another major would move him clear of the record. Cincinnati was the site of one of his most memorable recent triumphs in 2023, with that Masters 1000 crown serving as a springboard to the U.S. Open title later that summer.

Shapovalov moves into Los Cabos semifinal

Defending champion Denis Shapovalov reached the Los Cabos Open semifinal with a 6-4, 6-2 victory over Czechia's Dalibor Svrcina in Thursday's quarterfinal at the ATP Tour event. The 27-year-old Canadian, ranked 68th in the ATP standings and seeded eighth in Los Cabos, will play Saturday's semifinal against an opponent to be determined in Friday's matches. Shapovalov defeated Aleksandar Kovacevic 6-4, 6-2 in last year's final. Shapovalov is not entered in the upcoming National Bank Open in Montreal, leaving him to focus on defending his Los Cabos title before the North American hard-court swing shifts to the Masters events.